You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth
by warchiefsteph
Summary: A little beach rendezvous after escaping the palace guard. Part 1 of 2. art by winsbuck


My heart was racing, and adrenaline coursed through my veins as we sped through the winding alleyways of Vesuvia, city guards on our tail. My hand was clutched tightly to Julian's as we ran, never daring to look back, long tresses of crimson hair whipping about my face as the night breeze blew past. It was another close call, and as I rounded a corner, Julian in tow, I sent trickles of magic out from my core, searching, feeling, for the guard. Though still not out of the woods, their presence grew fainter with each heavy step we took, and I could finally slow my pace, relaxing the further from the palace we drew.

The alley that we turned into was short and narrow, and it spat us out at the beach's edge, the sand meeting our feet. Our pace slowed into a light trot, and we took care not to lose our footing as we approached the water's edge, both doubled over and trying to catch our breath. The entire evening had been a blur; Julian had the genius idea of attempting more research within the castle, but the moment we came anywhere near the grand palace, the guard grew suspicious of our lurking and immediately chased us off. Of course, that also meant that suspicious activity called for an entire chase through the city, and avoiding anyone was the greatest challenge I had faced, thus far. Every corner we turned, there was someone to meet us, whether with a squeal or an intimidating yell, but we never stayed long enough for them to recognize us. As often as I could, I would throw a spell of distraction over my shoulder in order to deter them from their pursuit, and it worked, as far as I could tell.

Bent at the waist, one hand was on my knee, the other still wrapped tightly in Julian's, and he stood straight, head tossed back as his hand tangled in his auburn hair. We breathed deeply, the salty, sea air flooding over us peacefully, the steady crash of the waves calming us. Tentatively, I cast my magic out again, searching for the guards, but finding nothing of note. It appeared as though they had given up their chase, and the moment I expelled my magic, cutting off the spell, an exhausted laugh fell from my lips. It was soft, at first, but steadily grew in volume before I stood at my full high, eyes squeezing shut while mirth danced across my features.

"Athena…?" Julian's voice reached me, soft and uncertain, and if I wasn't mistaken, a tad concerned as I broke into gleeful laughter in the dead of night on the sandy shores of the sea. "Athena, love, are you alright…?"

It was a moment before I stifled my laughter on the back of my hand, and after a few, steadying breaths, I cast my gaze toward Julian. His brows were knitted together, lips pouted in a slight frown while my laughter subsided, and I wiped a tear from my eye, biting my lip. He wasn't impressed by my mirth, but a relieved sigh fell from his lips as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear, fingers lingering on my skin as they danced down my jaw.

"I'm fine, Julian," I finally said, playful smirk on my lips. "That was...that was one hell of a chase, don't you think? We were really close to getting caught."

"Too close," he agreed, his hand falling to wrap it around mine. "We need to be more careful, next time."

I raised a brow. "It was your idea, if you don't remember. I could have gotten us in without so much as a sound, but nooooo, you wanted to do it the dramatic way."

He shrugged nonchalantly, throwing back his hair and giving me a devilish smirk. "I thought you liked dramatics," he chuckled with a quirk of his brow, shit-eating grin spreading quickly across his face. "You live for it, I thought."

I rolled my eyes, tugging him by the hand as I began a leisurely stroll down the beach. Feeling sand being kicked up between my toes, I wrinkled my nose in distaste; if there was one thing I didn't like about the beach, it was sand. Regardless, my fingers slipped from his and I wrapped my hand around the crook of his, resting my upon his shoulder. The tension in his body slackened at my touch, and I couldn't help but to let a smile cross my lips.

"That's a matter of perspective, Julian," I replied, taking in a deep breath of the ocean breeze. "The dramatics of the court that I've been-unfortunately-exposed too is not the sort I like. The dramatics of Doctor Julian Devorak on the other hand…" I paused, for dramatic effect. "...those, I do like."

A pleased hum vibrated in his throat, and his arm slipped from my grip, wrapping it around my shoulder. It was some time since either of us had come to the beach, and if I remembered correctly, our last rendezvous hadn't been the happiest. His fear of bringing me down into the mystery of the Count's murder by getting involved with me had forced him to push me away, but clearly, his plan worked. Or not. Regardless, I was glad that he didn't push me away as he intended; there was no way he'd be able to figure out the mystery of the murder on his own.

"Julian?"

My voice was soft enough to be drowned by the crash of the waves, but he tilted his head, not quite looking at me, but obviously listening.

"You remember when we were last here, right?"

I could feel the tension in his shoulders return, and his eye flickered toward me, looking almost sheepish as the moon cast its light on his face. I wasn't being accusatory, nor did I want him to think I was. In a way, it was amusing to think about how much had changed between us since that evening; true, there had been a physical attraction then, and there was no doubt the chemistry between us, but now, there was something more, something stronger that not even death could separate us from one another. We were comfortable with each other, and grew closer with each passing moment.

"I, ah, yes." His reply was rather short, as I expected, but slipping from his arm, I took his hands in mine, twirling on the sandy shore to face him, meeting his fiercely. The wind rustled my hair, crimson locks flying about my face like flames, and the grin on my lips was infectious, slowly spreading to Julian. Though a tad embarrassed by the thought of our last meeting at the docks, he seemed rather receptive to my good mood.

"That's in the past, now," I said nonchalantly. "I'm not here to scold you, I hope you know that."

"Of course, of course," he mused with a bow of his head. "Bad times, you know? I was a different man then, but now I know better." His eye gleamed in the moonlight as he looked at me, and the tenderness in his expression as he watched me caused my heart to race, warmth blossoming in the pit of my stomach. Had the lighting been right, he would have seen the rosy tint to my cheeks, but his expression was enough to tell me he knew, regardless. Still, one of his hands slipped from mine, and with a single, fluid movement, he twirled me, drawing me to his chest, holding me tightly the moment my back was flush against him.

The comforting scent of leather and musk washed over me, and my eyes fluttered shut, feeling Julian's grip tighten around me. His arms were wrapped around my shoulders and his cheek rested against the side of my head, nose buried in my hair. My hands rested on his arms, fingers curled protectively on his sleeve. All was still and silent, save for the waves on the water, calming and comforting the both of us. The moon rose higher into the sky, stars twinkling brightly, and a light fog steadily crawled across the sand, enveloping our feet beneath it. Despite the danger the pair of us had just escaped, I hadn't felt calmer than I had since the beginning of the investigation, and judging by Julian's stillness, the steadiness of his breathing and the willingness to hold me as long as he could, the same could have been said of him.

"Athena…?" His voice was soft, and I turned my head enough that our eyes met. His nose pressed against mine the moment he had my attention, and his lips were curved into a sweet, contented smile as he breathed in my scent, memorizing me to the very last. I touched my brow against his, wiggling around so that my hands rested on his chest. He didn't seem to mind; Julian's arms fell from my shoulders, one resting at the small of my back, the other curling itself into the hair at the back of my head, fingers tracing circles gently on my scalp.

"Hm?"

His eye was half-lidded, and a demure smile danced across my lips as he held me in place. I felt vulnerable, for once in my life, and yet completely safe, despite his precarious predicament. For now, he wasn't a murder. For now, I wasn't working for the palace. For now, it was just Athena and Julian, two kids in….

My breath caught in my throat, unable to continue my thought. Love was not a word I threw around lightly; in truth, Asra was the only person I ever told I loved, and the love he and I shared wasn't truly a romantic sort of love, but stronger than that of only friends. At least, in this lifetime. There were 25 years missing from my memories, 25 years in which I could have told another of my feelings, but even then, I was certain that I was not the kind of person to let it slip. But then, why did the thought come so easily when I was with Julian? As far as either of us knew, we hadn't known each other long, and yet I felt that there was more to who he and I were that neither of us remembered. A whole, dark slate to our pasts that was erased from our memories. Could there have been something more between us? He was so familiar, like he reminded me of someone I had never known, never met. God I only wished I could remember something, anything, something that could allude to a past I may have had with Julian.

"Are you alright, love? You've tensed up."

My eyes flew open, noticing Julian drew back, eyeing me curiously, frowning slightly. I noticed my hands had balled into fists, nails cutting into my palm, and my shoulders were stiff, almost painful, with how hard my muscles clenched. Had my thoughts bothered me more than I thought they would? It became very apparently as my entire body slowly relaxed the amount of tension my past gave me was more than I had initially believed it was. It was stupid of me to let my reservations slip; there was so much more to worry about at the moment. I didn't need to add my own worries to that list.

"Ah, yeah sorry. Don't worry about it," I said sheepishly, pointedly avoiding his gaze. For once, it was me who felt off, and not Julian. The moment rarely arose when I felt vulnerable about myself-not even Asra saw this, not when it was in my control. Nights when I woke from a nightmare, he was there, but more than that, I never let on. He didn't need to worry about me; god knew how much did already.

"Athena, please," Julian said with a dramatic roll of his eyes. I raised a brow, lips pursing. "As if I haven't weighed you down enough with the entire ordeal you've found yourself in, and you don't want to tell me what's bothering you?" He paused, raising his hands to my face, brushing his thumbs along my cheekbones. "You carry my weight with you wherever you go. For this once, let me carry yours."

My face flushed hot as I met his gaze, and my hands slid from his chest, up toward his shoulders, and finally to rest at the nape of his neck. He was sincere and encouraging, and wanted to shoulder my own burden along with his, but in my infinite stubbornness, I didn't want to bother him when he had so much to deal with already. It was out of our hands, and no amount of venting would bring back memories lost to the past.

I sighed, leaning into his touch. My mood had dropped, and this time, I was unable to hide it from Julian's vigilant gaze. However, he didn't press me to continue; he knew that trying to pull an answer from me wouldn't be beneficial to either of us, and like him, I would voice my insecurities on my own time. Right now, wasn't the time however, and as he realized it, he pulled me into his arms, my head resting in the crook of his neck, his cheek resting against my hair, and our arms wrapped around each other, holding one another in the pale moonlight. It was a comfort, and though it did not completely ease away my frustration, I could feel the flame within me flickering to life again. I was thankful for his company, just as much as he was thankful for mine.

It was a few moments before we drew apart, and my eyes met his, unwavering. This time, I wouldn't hide away, and the breeze picked up again, the moonlight on his pale skin cast a faint glow, illuminating his features. Slowly, a grin curved his lips, his brow doing that thing that it liked to do whenever he wanted a kiss, and I couldn't help but to laugh, my hands finding his face, holding it gently.

"Julian Devorak, you are something, you know that right?"

His brows waggled. "If that something is a good thing, then I'm happy to be it."

I rolled my eyes, and seconds later, I brought his face to mine, capturing his lips with my own. Half surprised, half expecting it, Julian's brows shot up before relaxing into the kiss, one hand entangling in my hair, the other resting on my hip. Practiced lips moved against mine hungrily, and though my lips parted, tongue tracing the line of his lips, I quickly drew away with a devious grin, squirming out of his grasp before he had a chance to react.

"Ah, Athena?" The confusion and disappointment which colored his voice pulled a laugh from my throat as I unbuckled my sandals, kicking them off behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, he watched as I made my way straight to the ocean, undoing the sash at my hip, wiggling out of my pants as they, too, joined my shoes on the beach.

"W-what are you doing?!" he called as I pulled my shirt over my head, adding it to the clothing strewn across the sandy beach. I would probably regret it later; getting sand into places it shouldn't be wasn't fun, but I would weather it again and again if it meant seeing the flustered surprise on his face.

"Don't tell me you don't like to swim!" I called over my shoulder, running as fast as my legs would carry me, while taking care that I didn't twist my ankle on the sand. Soon enough, my feet hit cold water, and not long after, I was up to my waist in the ocean. The cold didn't bother me; the fire within blossomed from my core to the tips of my fingers and toes, keeping me comfortably warm in the frigid water. As I turned to face the shore, slowly stepping back into deeper water, I watched Julian frantically kick off his boots, his overcoat flying from his shoulders as they joined my clothes on the beach. His white skin seemed to glow in the moonlight, and after a moment, I dived into the water, submerging myself completely as I waited for Julian to join me.

Magic protected my eyes from the saltiness of the ocean, and I swam beneath the waves, delighting at the coolness of the water on my skin. I had never been as comfortable in the water as Asra was; fire was my natural element, and it had been ever since I was a young girl. Still, a swim never hurt, and there was little else that could compare to the freedom that swimming could give me.

My lungs protesting for air, I kicked myself upward, my head breaching the surface as I took in a deep breath.I was a little further out than before, the water coming up to my shoulders, and Julian quickly submerged as well, propelling himself toward me. A grin lifted my features as I waited patiently in the waves, and not seconds later, I felt hands at my waist as I was suddenly showered when Julian resurfaced.

He had barely taken a breath when he clung to me, and I could feel his body shivering rapidly against mine. Still, he had it within him to look me in the eye, half confused, half flustered, and give me the same shit-eating grin that I could never resist.

"H-have you lost your mind?" he stuttered as he shivered, shaking his head slightly. "It's the middle of the night, no sun to speak of, and you're out here, swimming, as though it's the hottest day of the year? Athena, you've lost it."

I said nothing, placing my hands on his chest. Immediately, I could see my aura spread from my hands, creeping slowly over Julian's skin from where we touched. My power spread from my body to his, shielding him from the cold of the ocean, making him invulnerable to the discomfort of the waves. I could see recognition dawn on his features as warmth spread across his entire body, and recognition soon turned into amazement and wonder. He dragged his hand through the water, impervious to its effects, before turning his awed gaze upon me, features cracking into a mirthful smile.

"Athena! This is amazing! What's this, your-?"

"Aura," I replied, dragging my sopping hair out of my eyes. It clung to my skin where it was not submerged, and blocked him from view for the moment. Still, golden eyes met his as I reached for the back of his neck, interlocking my fingers behind them.

"I don't know how I can do it, only that I always have," I continued, biting my lip in thought. "As long as we touch, you're protected from the cold; I haven't figured out how to do it without touch, yet."

He didn't seem to mind the fact that I had to have my hands on him to make my magic work. In fact, from what I could see, he was quite enjoying it, and I could feel his hands slide down my waist and over my hips, getting playfully near my rear. Still, the way he looked at me, despite how naughty he wanted to be, sped my heartbeat again, bringing back the thoughts from before. I had never felt so comfortable in someone's arms as I did his, nor could I be completely honestly with my own reservations like I was with Julian. My gut erupted in butterflies every time he looked at me, and the flames that ever burned always became a blazing inferno within me when he was near. Whatever past we might have had was lost to us, but it felt as though it remained with me. And as I looked at him, biting my lip, my gaze flickered to his hungrily, as though begging for them to take mine.

"Julian, I-"

I did not have the chance to speak. The moment my lips parted, he captured them in his own, and beneath the waves, I could feel his hands lift my thighs to his hips. I locked my legs around him as one of his hands supported my back, pressing me flush against his chest, and the other was at the base of my neck, holding me steady while he kissed me in the moonlight. The passion with which his lips moved against mine felt as though the world would end the moment we broke apart, but if that was the way it was, then I was happy to see it end.

Before I could press back into the kiss, he broke it, and Julian's brow rested against mine. All was still; only the waves filled the air, splashing against each other, against us, and Julian held me tightly, closely, and as I studied his face, I could see how he struggled to find his words.

"I….I think I love you, Athena."

My heart felt as though it would leap out of my chest, and my stomach churned as a thousand butterflies erupted within. It was as though he read my thoughts before he kissed me, and slowly, his eye met mine, a sort of innocence sparkling within. I opened my mouth several times, unable to find the words I wanted to say, and I was worried that Julian might have thought I was avoiding the statement. For once, I was at a loss for words, and all I could do was stutter over myself in the water, much to his amusement.

"Cat got your tongue~?" he mused, quirking his brows. I rolled my eyes, and he chuckled, leaning to nuzzle his nose against my neck. I could feel goosebumps prickle down my arms and spine, yet I brushed it off, playing with the tips of his soaking hair.

"More like Julian got my tongue," I said, and I could feel him laugh against my skin. "You took the words right out of my mouth."

"Oh, really~?" He brushed his lips against my neck, and my jaw clenched while he peppered kisses across my skin.

"Really." I wasn't certain that I really wanted to explain myself, quite yet, but as Julian's kisses grew more hungry against my neck, feeling his teeth graze against my skin, I could tell that speaking wasn't quite on his agenda, at the moment. Still, my fingers tangled in his hair, and I tugged him backward to get a look at his face, but the groan the fell from his lips, coupled with the blush creeping quickly onto his cheeks, told me he was far more distracted than he was letting on.

"I think we should get back to the shop," I said, pausing only to brush my lips sweetly against his. "I'd rather not get caught in the ocean by stray guards, you know."

Though his blush still burned brightly, he nodded, lips lifting into a lopsided grin. "Getting caught is half the fun, my dear," he said. "But with a price on my head, I'm certain you're right."

The disappointment was evident on his face as he waded back to the shore, and as our feet hit the sand, I stood on my toes to steal another kiss. Now that we were out of the water, it was obvious he avoided looking at me, quite flustered at our shared nakedness, and gathering our things, he wrapped his overcoat around my shoulders, both of us sopping wet. Quietly, we made our way in the direction of my shop, and I threaded my fingers through his, leaning my head on his shoulder.

"Don't worry, Julian," I said, my thumb running along his. "We'll have the shop to ourselves, tonight…"


End file.
